McGregor Keen To Prove His Worth

Darren McGregor has bounced back from two career-threatening injuries to land a move to Rangers - but the defender knows he has to now prove he is fit to wear the famous blue jersey.

The former St Mirren centre-back spent half of his four-year stint in Paisley on the sidelines battling back to fitness after twice suffering devastating knee ligament ruptures.

Back the 28-year-old showed remarkable resilience to reclaim his place in the Buddies' line-up last season and has now won a dream move to Ibrox.

However, having been put through a rigorous examination by the Light Blues' medics before his deal was given the green light, McGregor knows he must now prove to the Rangers faithful that he is not only healthy enough to play for the League One champions, but good enough too.

McGregor, who becomes Rangers' second summer signing following the recapture of Kenny Miller last week, said: My medical was pretty thorough and I can totally understand why the club would want that having missed two years of football - they need to tick all the boxes.

But it was good for me too as I now know my legs are fine. I passed the medical with flying colours and now I want to prove to the Rangers fans that the club have not gambled by signing me.

I want to show them that I'm not a stop-gap and that I'm worthy of playing for this club every week.

This is a life changing move for me. It's great that I've got a little bit of stability. I can go and buy a house now.

But I'm not here for the money. I just want to play as do as well as I can for Rangers.''

Ally McCoist's latest signing - who has penned an initial one-year deal - has had to go the long way round in order to seal his move to the Glasgow giants.

Released by Cowdenbeath at 21, McGregor dropped down to the junior ranks with Arniston Rangers.

But he never gave up on his full-time dreams and after returning to Central Park two years after he was first axed, he then won a move to St Mirren when former Blue Brazil boss Danny Lennon switched to Paisley.

However, he admits after his double cruciate injury blow, there was a time when he feared his career was over.

I've gone from Arniston Rangers to Glasgow Rangers in the space of six years,'' said McGregor, a former clothes shop manager during his part-time days.

The rise I've been on has been phenomenal.

They always say if you are not picked up by a team by the time you are 13 or 14, then you have missed the boat.

But I was 24 and working in my girlfriend's dad's shop when I got the call from Danny asking me to go full-time with Saints.

All the hard work has paid off. I've had two bad injuries but never gave up. I've managed to bounce back and now find myself in this position.

If you had said to me two years ago I'd be signing for one of the biggest clubs in Britain, I'd never have believed you.

Right after that second injury, in my lowest moments, I really thought I was done. Coming back from the first injury was so difficult and I just didn't think I could do it again.

But I got terrific help from the St Mirren physio Gerry Docherty. In the end, I got back to play 38 games last season.''

McGregor was first linked with a move to Rangers after netting a spectacular volley at Ibrox back in April 2011.

He was pictured chatting to boss McCoist after the game and the defender admits those words from his new boss have stuck with him ever since.

Those rumours came a few years ago when I scored that wonder goal here,'' he said.Ally had a chat with me as we came off the park, just to say how well I had done that season.

I had lost my dad a few weeks before and he told me I had done well to overcome that. That meant a lot.

Ally, Kenny McDowall and Ian Durrant all seem like great guys and I'm looking forward to working with them.''